When Safety Looks Busy but Fails People: Plainspeak with Steve Davis

Описание: "There are five aspects to a safety program that if you align to these five elements and you connect them, the more connection points that you have between them, the better and stronger your safety program will be.” Steve Davis, VP of EHS at Forbes Brothers Companies

Most organisations I work with are investing heavily in safety, but still not getting the results they expect. That’s exactly why this conversation with Steve Davis mattered so much to me. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I talk to Steve Davis, Vice President of EHS at Forbes Brothers Companies. Steve brings a rare mix of operational experience and practical clarity to a space that’s often cluttered with noise.
We dig into why disconnected safety programs fail, even when they look great on paper. Steve walks through a five-element framework that helps leaders connect the dots between programs, processes, metrics, communication, and structure, turning activity into real protection. We also talk candidly about why “good catches” tell you far more about your culture than lagging indicators, why high-energy hazards require a different mindset, and how to turn data into lessons people actually remember.

Here are some highlights from my discussion with Steve:
The Five-Element Framework that connects isolated safety programs
Why measuring "good catches" is the leading indicator of genuine safety culture
How to stop measuring the wrong thing
Why high-energy hazards demand a completely different safety approach
The "Take Two" tool that prevents catastrophic events before hands-on work begins
How to translate data into stories people actually remember

Steve Davis is Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety at Forbes Brothers Companies, and is known for building safety cultures that move beyond compliance into measurable, repeatable behaviour change. Drawing on leadership experience across five organisations, Steve integrates programs, processes, communication, and metrics into cohesive safety systems. His work blends quantitative and qualitative data with human performance and behavioural science to reduce mishaps and SIF risk. A recognised industry voice, Steve is a sought-after speaker and advisor to leading energy, construction, and nuclear organisations.

Episode Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Welcome to the Canary Report
03:30 From Stuntman to Safety Leader: Steve Davis's Unconventional Journey
05:00 The Five-Element Framework: Why Isolated Safety Programs Fail
09:16 Stop Work Programs Don't Work Without Connection
14:49 Measure Voluntary Behavior, Not Compliance, to Detect Real Culture
16:08 Good Catches as Your Leading Indicator of Safety Excellence
19:40 High-Energy Hazards Demand Different Rules and Deeper Investigation
23:03 The Take Two Tool: Two Minutes Before Work Prevents Catastrophe
25:50 Nothing Happens Until Someone Sells Safety
27:06 Turn Safety Data Into Memorable Soundbites, Not Bullet Points
29:44 Personal Stories: Hot Air Balloons, Stuntwork, and Finding Home
36:11 Calculated Risk-Taking: The Safety Leader's Secret Mindset

Guest Resources:
Steve Davis on LinkedIn:   / steve-davis-ms-csp-bcrsp-8817247b  
Forbes Brothers Companies Website: https://forbesbrosgroup.com/

Links:
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3MEyLMM
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4colYIH
YouTube:    • When Safety Looks Busy but Fails People: P...